YMCA bids farewell to State Street site

Schenectady YMCA will move residence program to new downtown facility

Updated 8:59 pm, Monday, January 14, 2013

The old YMCA building at 13 State St. on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in Schenectady, N.Y. The homeless male residential program currently is held in this building and is moving to a former factory at 845 Broadway. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

The old YMCA building at 13 State St. on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in...

The old YMCA building at 13 State St. on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in Schenectady, N.Y. The homeless male residential program currently is held in this building and is moving to a former factory at 845 Broadway. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

The old YMCA building at 13 State St. on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in...

The old YMCA building at 13 State St. on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in Schenectady, N.Y. The homeless male residential program currently is held in this building and is moving to a former factory at 845 Broadway. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

The old YMCA building at 13 State St. on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in...

A former factory at 845 Broadway on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in Schenectady, N.Y. The homeless male residential program currently at the old YMCA building at 13 State St. will be moving to this building. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

A former factory at 845 Broadway on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in...

A former factory at 845 Broadway on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in Schenectady, N.Y. The homeless male residential program currently at the old YMCA building at 13 State St. will be moving to this building. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

A former factory at 845 Broadway on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in...

A former factory at 845 Broadway on Monday Jan. 14, 2013 in Schenectady, N.Y. The homeless male residential program currently at the old YMCA building at 13 State St. will be moving to this building. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

SCHENECTADY — The 90-square-foot rooms in the downtown YMCA that once housed young newcomers to Schenectady will soon be no more.

The Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority was able to secure $11.1 million in state tax credits and a $5.5 million state grant to move 155 chronically homeless men who live in the YMCA's 87-year-old residence to a former factory on Broadway that will be renovated and turned into apartments by the Galesi Group. The move will likely happen early next year.

The Schenectady YMCA moved the fitness portion of its 13 State St. facility to the renovated Center City building in 2010. But the fate of its residence program, which is paid for mostly through federal funds, was unknown.

The tiny YMCA rooms are now home to 182 men, who share bathroom facilities and showers. Schenectady YMCA Executive Director Louis Magliocca said the $25 million project for 845 Broadway will have apartments, each 400 square feet with a bathroom and kitchen.

"My goal over the last 10 years was to bring dignity to the program," Magliocca said. "This is almost a miracle."

Magliocca will have to find spots somewhere else for about 30 men, as federal requirements only allow so many apartments in the 95,000-square-foot building, which was last used by Schenectady International in the early 2000s. The building is located just outside the downtown area, but Magliocca said most of his clients take the bus or are provided transportation to medical and other appointments. The apartments will be next door to the Schenectady County Department of Social Services building.

Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen said redevelopment opportunities are being sought for the old YMCA building, which was built circa 1927 and is a recognizable structure as one enters the city from Scotia or Interstate 890.

Urban YMCAs were once known for offering clean, safe, affordable rooms for out-of-town guests. Gillen said people who had business at General Electric often stayed at the State Street YMCA. But many such units in cities nationwide are gone or have been transitioned to shelter housing.

Much of the inside of the YMCA would likely have to be gutted to make way for another use. Its redevelopment would be part of Metroplex and the city's plans to revive lower State Street, which includes expanding Liberty Park, redoing the Adirondack Trailways bus station and finding a developer for the former Robinson Furniture building lot. Schenectady County Community College's privately owned dorms opened in the fall, and Legere Restoration is poised to purchase the nearby Armory.

As for the new YMCA residence on Broadway, Galesi has owned the former factory and neighboring Social Services Department building since 2007. Gillen said Galesi, which rehabbed Center City, built and owns the Golub Corp. headquarters and owns the former ALCO site along the Mohawk River, would jointly own 845 Broadway with the YMCA. Galesi is also getting federal and state historic tax credits because the factory, built in 1915 as a business offshoot of Edison Machine Works, is on the National Register of Historic Places.